List of Illustrations -- Preface -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction -- PART I: LAYING A FOUNDATION FOR MORAL DISCOURSE: AGENCY, IDENTITY AND BELONGING -- Agency, Identity and Belonging -- PART II: REPRESENTATIONS OF CHILDHOOD AND MORALITY: A SOCIAL CONSTRUCT OF CONTROL SECTION -- The 'Ominous' Child -- Childhood and Morality as Social Constructs -- The Ambiguous Child -- Contemporary Constructions of Children and the Law -- PART III: MORAL AGENCY IN ACTION: THE SELF, OTHERS AND EXPERIENCES -- Stereotypes : Positioning the Self -- Negotiating Power Relations : The Self and Others -- A Learning Experience : Making Sense of Social Experiences -- PART IV: CONCLUDING THOUGHTS -- Concluding Thoughts : Time to be 'Bothered'
Summary
Children and questions of moral behaviour are prominent social discourses. Adult attitudes towards children and their recognition of right and wrong impact upon society deeply, shaping the ways in which we think about children's participation, their citizenship and how they are 'governed' within the community. But upon what basis are such practices and policies built and how do they reflect the reality of social life for children? This work argues that much of society's thinking in relation to children and questions around social behaviour are linked to misplaced assumptions that are routed in views from the past. However, it is by engaging with children though a sociological perspective that it becomes clear that morality is not something that just happens to children but is part of their everyday lives. By drawing on empirical research this book highlights the extent to which children engage with questions of morality as they seek to navigate the complexities of the social world around them, arguing that children should be seen as active members of society with both the capacity and understanding to grapple with discourses of morality
